Arecanut Cultivation: How much and how beneficial is betel nut cultivation? Yogesh of Karnataka adopted the formula of intercropping
Red soil is suitable for betel nut
Do you know that India is the largest producer of betel nut in the world and Karnataka has the highest cultivation of betel nut in the country. If you have ever visited South India, you must have seen a lot of trees thin and tall like coconut, but its fruits are small. These trees, which look like coconut, are of betel nut. Its cultivation is more in South India, because both the soil and the weather there are suitable for betel nut. Kisan of India correspondent Nishit Malhotra reached a village in Tumkur district of Karnataka to know the important things related to betel nut cultivation. Here he met Yogesh, a betel nut farmer.
Returns after 8 years of investment
Yogesh, a farmer who has been cultivating betel nut for many years, says that after 8 years of planting betel nut, a tree is formed and starts giving fruits. That is, for 8 years, you have to spend on the care of the tree as well as on fertilizer and water etc.
How much is the earning?
About 2 kg of betel nut comes out of a tree. Yogesh has planted 600 betel nut trees in 4 acres. It produces about 4 quintals of betel nut. Yogesh says that by selling so many betel nuts, he earns Rs 4 lakh. Actually, betel nut is sold in the market for Rs 300 to Rs 400 per kg.
Along with arecanut, he also cultivates cocoons for additional income, as cocoon plants mature quickly. That’s why earning starts early.
Cultivation of other crops
Yogesh also cultivates paddy crops along with arecanut and cocoons. Along with cultivation of ragi, he also makes biscuits by processing it. Actually, ragi is considered very beneficial for health. Therefore, nowadays the demand for Ragi and its products is increasing.
Red soil is necessary for betel nut
The betel nut crop cannot grow in all types of soil. For this only red clay is needed. Most of the areas of Karnataka have red soil, which is perfect for its cultivation. This is the reason that most of the farmers of Tumkur district do betel nut cultivation.
Grow black pepper with betel nut
If you want to earn extra income then cultivating black pepper along with betel nut is a good option. Pepper plants need tall trees to climb up, so betel tree is a good choice. Areca trees are planted at a distance and are very tall, so farmers can plant some other crops along with it.
Contact us: If farmers want to share information or experiences related to farming with us, then they can do this by calling us on the phone number 9599273766 or by writing an email to kisanofindia.mail@gmail.com or by sending your recording. Through Kisan of India, we will convey your message to the people, because we believe that if the farmers are advanced then the country is happy.